POULTRY PUNCH - FEBRUARY 2019

View Point :
Union Budget and Poultry
The Indian poultry sector, an inherent component of the Animal Husbandry department, is
an integral part within the agriculture sector. The financial inputs in the poultry sector amounts
to more than 70 percent investment on feed. Feed implies direct consideration of pricing and
availability of Maize, soybean, rice bran, oil cakes etc to the feed mills and ultimately the
poultry farmer who is the end user.
Maize happens to be a vital component of poultry feed and a lot depends on the availability
of this cereal. Of late, maize scarcity has had an adverse affect on poultry production across
the country. The poultry farmers are in doldrums and find it an uphill task to continue with their
business. They cannot increase the price as there will be no takers in the market and on the
other hand have to cope with the rising maize prices.
The main reason for the maize scarcity is attributed to the low sowing acreage and hence
a sliced production. It should be borne in mind that maize is also extensively used for human
consumption and is followed by the poultry sector. Not only that the price of maize has soared
high, even the availability is marred by empty stocks. Though the government has tried its
best to compensate this with imports but still there is a wide mismatch between availability
and demand.
One of the best possible remedy can be tis to increase the sowing acreage to reap
the surplus harvest which shall then meet all the demands of human consumption and
poultry usage. Maize is an excellent source of protein for all its concerned end users, so the
government should provide sops to give maize production a boost.
Besides this, the government can also release the stored sub standard maize lying with
the Food Corporation of India for the poultry which is not fit for human consumption. In the
poultry diet it is not easy to compensate or replace maize with any other alternative because
of its own nutritional benefits.
Apart from this, the Finance Minister has declared scores of financial lending to the farners.
To provide assured income to small and marginal farmers, the Government has introduced
a historic yojana- Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (KISAN). Under the yojana, the
vulnerable farmers, who own around 2 hectares of land, will get direct income support of Rs
6000 per year.
Around Rs 75,000 crore will be borne by the Centre every year. The first installment will
be issued soon after preparing a list. Rs 20,000 crore will be spent this financial year. The
government has now decided that all farmers affected by severe natural calamities, where
the assistance is provided from the National Disaster Relief Fund, will be provided with the
benefit of interest subvention of 2 per cent, and prompt subvention of 3 per cent for the entire
period rescheduling of the loan.’’
-Editor
Poultry Punch 11